That Night Three Years Before
by Saya1450
Summary: It was a night of pain, a night of terrible hurt, of destroyed lives and shattered spirits. It seemed like a tragedy at the time, but out of that night emerged true heroes. K for minor violence.
1. Part I: Predictions

This is my first Golden Sun fanfiction, but I really enjoyed writing it. It'll be short, about four parts, but it documents in detail the complete events of the fateful night that began it all. I have a few more Golden Sun fanfiction planned for the future after this one, but in the mean time, I hope you enjoy it, and give me some helpful tips and reviews on how I did orcan improve. No flames please.  
Enjoy!

-Saya1450-

**That Night Three Years Before**  
_A Golden Sun Fanfiction by Saya_

_That night three years before…it was a night of pain, a night of terrible hurt, of destroyed lives and shattered spirits. It was a night when all hell broke loose and despair reared its ugly head. It seemed like a tragedy, a catastrophe, an innocence stealer at the time, but that miserable night birthed new desires, renewed spirits, flames of passion that might never have been otherwise, but above it all that night produced true heroes. That night three years before was the beginning of it all, the beginning of the quest of all quests, the valiant journey to save all Weyard from certain destruction, and to usher in the rising of the Golden Sun._

**Part I – Prediction**

Jenna dangled her legs over the crystalline waters running beneath the suspended porch of her home in Vale, Angara, and lazily turned the page of her book. She blinked as the late afternoon sun glared down on the crisp whiteness of the page and into her unprotected eyes. Free time to sit and relax had been scarce of late so Jenna was planning to use the next hour until the moon rose to read in peaceful enjoyment. The sun fell warmly on her back, and the river running swiftly two feet beneath her made for a calming background noise to soothe her greatly over worked senses.

Someone gave a quick tug on her ear. She jumped and bit back a startled shriek before turning to glare at her brother.

"What are you doing?" Felix asked nonchalantly, dropping down cross-legged beside his younger sister. His shaggy mass of chestnut brown hair fluttered slightly in the soft breeze blowing across the river, and a mischievous glint shone radiantly in his brown eyes.

Jenna rolled her own hazel eyes. Felix was fifteen, only a year older than she, but he could be a real pain at times. "I _was_ reading," She snapped, "until someone so rudely interrupted me!"

Felix grinned that impish smile of his and crossed his eyes at her.

Jenna sighed, annoyed. "You should really stop doing that you know," She said, poking him hard in the chest, "It's extremely immature; a child's trick at best."

Now it was Felix's turn to roll his eyes, but that mischievous glint was still there, even with that silly smile erased from his features, "You know I don't do it to anyone else; only to you, because it bugs you."

Riveting her eyes back to her neglected book, Jenna shrugged. She did know. It was Felix's special 'treatment' for her. She'd told herself time and time again to ignore her brother when he crossed his eyes at her like that, but she never could. It really, really bugged her! Abruptly, the wind changed direction, whipping harshly, icily, against her skin, and blowing roughly through her neat reddish-brown ponytail. Felix's eyes were raised to the sky a worried frown suddenly creasing the corners of his mouth.

"A storm," He muttered, glancing quickly from the sky to the river beneath them, "and it looks like it's coming up pretty fast."

Jenna followed her brother's gaze upward. The sky to the north was rapidly filling up with ominous purple-black clouds directly above Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum, the sanctum the people of Vale were sworn to protect. "Yeah, it looks pretty big too," She added as a blinding flash of lighting lit up the rapidly darkening sky.

"There's something wrong with it Jenna," Felix's quiet concern was almost completely drowned out by the following crash of thunder. He shook his head as if confused, "It seems unnatural, psynergy induced maybe, but definitely not natural."

Jenna stared at her brother curiously, "How would you know that? It looks like a completely normal storm to me, unusually large yes, but altogether normal."

Felix kept right on shaking his head, his brown eyes glued intently on the peak of Mt. Aleph which was now hidden in a veil of darkening storm clouds. "Well there's something different about this one Jenna, I just know it. Look where the storm is. It's directly above Mt. Aleph. I've never seen a storm this big come from the north over the mountains; never. Storms like this one always come from the south," Felix closed his eyes, "and there's something strange in the earth; I can feel psynergy, a lot of it. Something's happening on Mt. Aleph, in the Sanctum."

"I don't know what you're talking about Felix," Jenna replied, shaking her head, "All I know is that the storm is coming closer by the second, and if we don't get inside soon we're going to get wet."

"The Elder's must be warned," Felix said, getting to his feet abruptly, a determined, stubborn look cementing in his eyes. The first icy drops of cold rain splattered down onto the deck as Jenna jumped up hurriedly, snapping her book shut. The wintry blasts of wind buffeted them as they stood over the river, the coldness sheering right through Jenna's light summery garb. She shivered.

"Felix!" Jenna shouted to be heard over the suddenly galeing wind, "Don't you dare go out there in this weather!" Fire. She needed fire. Fire always helped to warm her, and it strengthened her psynergy, just as earth did Felix's, "Come inside where it's warm, out of the wet!"

"No," Her brother answered simply, turning away. The rain was falling faster now, and Felix's thick hair was already slick and dripping with water, "The Elder's must be warned Jenna! Something is wrong on Mt. Aleph! I must go, now."

Jenna sighed and glared at her brother. She was wet and cold, her teeth chattering at each new blast of wind, "Felix, its suicide to go out in this weather! You'll just get yourself kill – hey! Come back here!" She shouted, angry and annoyed at her brother's stubbornness as she watched him lope away from the house and the churning river of tree trunks, sticks, and general debris that roared beneath her now, "You're stubborn Felix," She muttered to the darkness, "Bloody, bloody stubborn."

----------

Felix was satisfied. He had succeeded in warning the Elder's of the threat he felt from the growing storm on Mt. Aleph, and they had finally sent someone to investigate his claims. It had taken him more than fifteen precious minutes to convince them that something was wrong, but they had eventually caved in under his stubborn insistence.

It was still raining violently when he stepped outside, water cascading down in torrential sheets, limiting his vision to less that ten feet, and water was rising swiftly in the muddy torrent of a river smashing its deadly way through the town, almost overflowing its high banks. Lightening streaked across the dark sky behind him, illuminating the wet earth slick with mud for a split second before plunging Vale back into darkness. Thunder cracked as Felix stumbled, the raging wind causing him to lose his balance. Freezing rain pounded at him from all sides, soaking determinedly into his hair, his soft leather boots, and clothing, as he hurriedly pulled himself back onto his feet, brushing the worst of the mud off with his hands.

"Home," He muttered under his breath as he picked his left foot up, placing it firmly in the mud before him, "I'll be home soon; I just have to keep going." He knew he'd been gone for a while, and his parents were undoubtedly worried sick about him, Jenna too. A thunderstorm, especially one of this ferocity, was no place to be wandering about in, even within the safety of his own village.

He cursed as his foot slipped again on the mud. This time he caught himself before he could fall flat on his face as before. His mother was going to kill him for the mud undoubtedly covering his entire body, and Jenna for leaving when she did not want him to. His father would too for that matter, for worrying them all. Felix shivered, quickening his step as he crossed the village. _Not much further now_, he told himself stubbornly, _just keep on moving, you're almost home_.

Dimly he could make out the welcoming yellow lantern light flooding from the windows of his house up ahead, and the terrible brownish river of ice, and tree trunks, sticks, and other debris it had gathered as it tore through the town of Vale to his left. The river roared and gurgled as it raced through the valley. Felix shuddered to think what would happen if anyone fell in there right now.

Winds blasted him from the right; cursing once more he stumbled to the left, and his foot slipped. Suddenly, everything was a whirling tornado of confusion and icy water. He felt himself being sucked under by the river, spinning and tumbling at a break neck speed through the terrible waters. He couldn't breathe, and desperately he flapped his arms, trying to reach the surface. Where was the surface! He panicked, flailing wildly in the water. He couldn't see anything, hear anything; he couldn't breathe, couldn't think! He had to breathe, had to fill his burning lungs with something! Suddenly, his head broke the surface and he was sucking in huge gasps of wonderful, life-giving air, he didn't care that half of it was water, before the river claimed him once more.


	2. Part II: Struggle

**That Night Three Years Before  
Part II – Struggle**

Alerya sneezed, wiping her nose surreptitiously with the back of her hand, and sprinted the final hundred yards through the blinding rain to the Sanctum. It seemed Felix had been right after all, and the storm above Mt. Aleph did pose a threat to the inhabitants of Vale. As soon as Elder Jaina had recognized the danger she'd sent her young apprentice to warn and ask the rest of the Elders for help. Gritting her teeth Alerya yanked open the door; she did not know for how much longer Elder Jaina could hold out her psynergy alone. She needed help, and fast.

Soothing warmth and full lantern light washed over her in a comforting wave as she stepped inside; Alerya sneezed again, the door clicking softly shut behind her. The Elders were seated in a precise circle in the center of the room, each with their hands folded neatly in their lap, grim expressions on every one of their faces from Elder Sarre's smooth youthful features, to the High Elder's: gnarled and bony. Alerya was suddenly very conscious of the nine curious pairs of eyes resting on her inquiringly.

"Ah, Alerya, Elder Jaina's apprentice, you have returned," The High Elder, known more commonly as the Great Healer, spoke quietly, rising slowly to his feet, "but where, may I ask, is Elder Jaina?"

"Up at the base of Mt. Aleph," Alerya replied hurriedly, pushing back her damp hood to reveal her short mass of yellow hair, slick with rain water, "Felix was right it seems, about something dangerous going on at Mt. Aleph. There's a giant boulder perched on the ledge directly above the village, it's got to be at least twenty-five feet tall. Elder Jaina's up there, preventing it from crashing down on Vale with her psynergy, but I don't know how long she can hold it on her own. She sent me for help 'cause if that boulder breaks free it could destroy half the village!"

The rest of the Elder's were on their feet as she finished, and their grim expressions had only deepened as they listened to Alerya speak. She glanced uneasily around the room, waiting for someone to speak, to react to her dire message.

The Great Healer took a deep breath before replying, "Thank you Alerya, you have done well. Elder Samuel, take five others with you and go help Elder Jaina at the foot of Mt. Aleph. Elder's Sarre and Jaysan, and you too Alerya, wake the villagers. Everyone must be warned and evacuated to the plaza immediately."

The cold rain poured down from the sky, soaking Garet completely to the skin despite the thick water resistant cloak spread across his shoulders. Hunching low as if to escape the endless down pour of rain he hurried on through the mud and wind, downcast amber eyes fixed on Isaac's mud covered feet two paces before him. He and Isaac, his long time friend, were heading for the safety of the plaza, under strict orders from the Elders of Vale to evacuate the town.

----------

Garet shivered as another blast of icy wind whipped at him, throwing another wave of freezing rain into his face. He cursed and quickly shook the irritating drops of water out of his eyes. It seemed much more than barely fifteen minutes ago to the flame haired mars adept that he'd been asleep and warm in his own bed with his family. His parents, and Alaena and Erran, had all retreated to the safety of the plaza where his grandparents lived as soon as Alerya, the girl he'd secretly harbored a crush on for many years, had issued the warning from the Elders. Garet, being the stubborn adolescent that he was, had let his family leave him behind to foolishly, he now realized, try to save some of his more precious belongings. That was where Isaac had found him, attempting to wrestle a large chest of valuables through the hazardous thunderstorm. His friend had immediately grabbed Garet by the wrist and towed him none too gently away from the chest, lecturing him on the stupidity of his actions. Garet hadn't argued, following his best friend away from the dangers of northern Vale toward the safety of the plaza.

Isaac's feet slowed and came to an abrupt stop in front of him, causing Garet to pull up sharply. "By Venus!" He heard Isaac mutter as he stepped up beside his yellow haired friend, peering through the thick curtain of rain, "why does this have to happen now, to us?"

Garet blinked as his eyes took in for the first time what Isaac was seeing, "Man," He groaned in disgust, "our path, I repeat, _our_ path, not anybody else's, just happens to be blocked by a random landslide when we are in a threatening life and death situation, not any other time, but _now_!"

He noticed Isaac's deep sapphire eyes roaming thoroughly over the large pile of rock and storm debris, as if searching desperately for a way over, or around. There seemed to be none that Garet could see. Isaac sighed in annoyance, "We'll have to hurry Garet, from now on. I do know another way, but I don't know if we will make it in time. We must try though; we have no other choice."

Nodding his head, Garet replied seriously, "I'm game Isaac, if you are."

With a curt nod of his head Isaac turned on his heal, and was off in the other direction, the misty curtain of water slowly closing around him. Garet hurried to catch up before the rain enveloped Isaac entirely.

Isaac was silent as he led Garet on through the storm, back past their houses, clustered at the northern end of the village, the driving wind forcing them to slow their steps as they walked against it and the rain. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and Garet jumped each time it did, cursing himself for acting like a tiny child afraid of the dark. The steep slope Isaac led him down, he guessed it was an alternate route to the blocked flight of steps leading down the sheer cliff face the Waterfall of Vale cascaded down, was slick with ice and mud. He did not know how Isaac did it, but _his_ feet managed to flip out from under him more than once, sprawling him flat in the mud, while Isaac strode serenely down the slope, seemingly ignorant of Garet's troubles. He guessed it had something to do with Isaac's elemental power being earth, while Garet's happened to be fire, the complete opposite of the storm assaulting Vale.

"We should be nearing places you'd recognize Garet," Isaac said off-handedly, glancing back at Garet's mud covered form.

Garet stared around himself wearily, recognition finally dawning in his bleary eyes, "Yup, we're near Felix and Jenna's place now aren't we?"

Isaac nodded, sarcasm practically dripping off his tongue, "How observant of you."

Garet rolled his eyes toward his friend's back, "It's not my fault if I was too tired to 'observe thoroughly', and especially after being awakened like that in the middle of the night! That little path of yours really is handy though, especially in a time like this," Garet added in a grim voice, "We really need to hurry before that boulder or whatever it was comes crashing down on us. Alerya sounded almost as if she were fighting off a severe case of hysterics when she wakened us. I think this threat to the village is real, and it won't wait for us to clear out either."

Isaac was nodding. A stab of fear ripped through Garet as the loudest peal of thunder yet cracked through the village. He winced; his heart was threatening to erupt from his chest. "W-we need to move on now Isaac," he tried to control his voice, but wasn't quite sure if he succeeded entirely, "I-it's definitely not safe anymore."

"I agree," Isaac replied, stepping off into the mist once more, "let's go Garet."

----------

The river roared treacherously at Kyle's left, a demon of terror out to suck it's victims under with one foul move and devour them mercilessly. His lips formed a grim line as he strode cautiously through the stormy night. The harsh wind, utter darkness and intense rain pressed roughly on him from all sides, distorting his vision hopelessly and causing him to have to use his entire conscious mind to concentrate on where he placed his feet lest he find himself flat on his face in the mud.

When the monstrous storm had first struck, Kyle had treated it like any other storm, hurriedly shutting all the windows opened to catch a lingering breeze from the unusually warm and sunny afternoon. It had not been but fifteen minutes later however, as the storm had accumulated to a deadly crescendo, a thing of destruction, when he'd felt something strange in the earth beneath his feet, pulsating steadily from Mt. Aleph where the storm had originated. He knew immediately that something was wrong. As he had neared the Sanctum after venturing stubbornly into the storm he'd encountered young Alerya who was of an age with his son Isaac and apprenticed to Elder Jaina, sprinting wildly through the night, fear encrypted in her captivating green eyes. Stopping her he'd learned from the desperate girl of the pressing matters taking place at the base of Mt. Aleph. Moments later he'd left the terrified girl behind, and sprinted through the numerous arches leading to the foot of Mt. Aleph. There he'd found an exhausted and almost entirely drained Elder Jaina struggling to push back the giant village-destroying boulder threatening to crash down on Vale on her own, and immediately he'd added his own psynergy to hers. It must have only been ten minutes later, though it felt like a prolonged age to an exhausted Kyle, that six new, refreshed Elder's arrived, allowing Kyle and Elder Jaina, both completely drained of any usable psynergy, to release the boulder to the rest of the Elders. After escorting Elder Jaina who appeared practically asleep on her feet back to the Sanctum safely Kyle knew his job was far from over.

As he had rounded the corner of the moderately sized home he shared with his wife and son he had encountered them both exiting the darkened building clad heavily in warm woolen garments and thick cloaks stout enough to ward off the coldest of winter nights. Kyle had smiled, recognizing the work of his wife who utterly detested the cold. Quickly exchanging news with Dora who had immediately rushed off to aid the Elders with what power she had, though he wished she had not, and sending Isaac off to the safety of the plaza, he'd hurried on determinedly, warning those whose homes he encountered as he walked of the imminent danger atop Mt. Aleph. He was heading for the southern part of the village along the river.

Kyle shook the cold rain from his eyes, blinking to clear his head from the booming crash of thunder that had just ripped across the night. He froze as he did, before stepping cautiously forward once more. He could've sworn he'd heard a voice calling out weakly, desperately, over the terrible roaring of the river. Standing rigid he listened again and heard the cry once more, a definite call for help. Kyle frowned, and followed the sound, struggling to locate the origin of the shout above the raging wind and rain and thunder. The river rushed and gurgled, entire banks collapsing into its swirling, muddy depths as if beckoned, and right in the center of it all was the hazy figure of a boy, clinging for dear life to the final remaining support beam of an old river hut built over the water which had been washed away many years ago. _So_, was Kyle's grim thought as his mind began to race in terror, _the demon has already struck_.

"Help!" The boy screamed again, struggling to raise his face to the sky for only an instant, but even that instant was long enough for Kyle to recognize him in a mind numbing moment. The river's victim was Felix, a boy he knew very well. Felix was like a second son to him, and a very good friend of Isaac's. He could feel his chest tightening in fear as he stared at the terrified young boy surrounded by the churning, icy waters of the deadly river. His fear only escalated into a calm panic when he realized his psynergy was completely drained; he had no way to help the boy. Struggling to reign in his terror he pushed himself through all the possible ways of escape for Felix. He had to help the boy in someway; he had to get him out of the river!

"Felix!" He shouted above the rocketing wind, shivering at the cold rain that soaked him to the skin, "I'm going to get help! Just hold on a little longer!"

The boy in the middle of the river did not reply.


	3. Part III: Tragedy

**Important Note: The parts in italics near the end are direct quotes from the game with slight tweaking done by me. I do not own Golden Sun or any of the characters except for the names Elder Jaysan, Alaena, Erran and Deren.  
-Saya1450-**

**Part III – Tragedy**

Alaena pulled the deep hood of her cloak up over her head, veiling her lengths of auburn hair from the gently falling rain upon the plaza. The storm was not as vicious down here as it was near her home at the northern edge of the village. She shivered and hurried through the mud toward the Psynergy stone at the center of the plaza where her grandfather, Elder Jaysan, supervised the use of its healing powers. Her parents and Grandmother wished for her to coax the frail old man out of the rain and into the warmth and security of their home. Alaena knew it was hopeless, her Grandfather was a stubborn man, but she went anyway to please the adults. It was certainly miserable and wet outside though.

Her feet slid precariously across the mud as she neared the stone. Only one adept at a time could renew their Psynergy at the stone, but even with that set precedent only two people were waiting in line for the use of the stone. _Most people would have to be crazy to be out in a storm like this,_ Alaena thought grimly, stepping up beside her grandfather_, but the Elder's need help and not many are willing to give it._ Deren, the town's young blacksmith who had only six years on Alaena's sixteen, was taking his turn at the Psynergy stone, forehead and thick callused hands from long hours at the forge pressed firmly up against the crystal.

"Grandfather," She spoke quietly, laying a gentle hand on the old man's arm.

The white haired Elder jumped in surprise and turned his gray-blue eyes on his young granddaughter whom he had not yet noticed. "Oh, hello Alaena," The old man murmured absently. It was clear that his mind was elsewhere, "What are you doing out here on this Mars forsaken night? You should be back at the cottage with your Grandmother."

Alaena smiled and shook her head fondly at the old man, "Grandmother and Mother and Father sent me out here to you. They wa –"

She broke off sharply as an unidentified shout rang out from the mist at her back, "Elder Jaysan!" followed by another voice calling, "Grandfather!"

Alaena squinted into the rain, "Oh Mars, its Garet, Grandfather. The stupid lump-head told us to leave him behind for Mars knows what wool-headed reason when we fled the house. It's a wonder Mother and Father let him go, and Erran did not attempt to tag along behind my foolish brother."

"Ah yes, our Garet has always been rash and sometimes even a little foolish," Grandfather smiled slightly, barely even glancing off into the rain," He's not alone though Granddaughter, and my eyes are not what they used to be. Who else is with him?" Alaena nodded again in agreement as a grin spread across her soft features; the old man was not even trying.

She squinted again, straining to make out the three hazy figures dashing toward them through the thick curtain of rain, "Well, I know one is Garet, and the smaller one is most likely Jenna, but I…oh, no, I see him now, it's Isaac—I think it is Isaac at least."

Her grandfather nodded before turning his gaze back up to the sky, "This storm is terrible, not so much down here, but up there…something bad must have happened to send those three young ones down here in such a hurry." Alaena had no time to reply as her brother and his friends came panting up to them, completely soaked with rain, and eyes wild with terror.

Garet's normally healthily flushed cheeks were pale and drained of blood, "Grandfather! Help is needed desperately over by-,"

"My brother fell in the river Elder Jaysan! You must help him! If he isn't pulled out soon he'll die, or drown, or be crushed by a giant log, or be smashed against the sides, or washed away!" Jenna cut in desperately; her normally cheerful face was creased with terror, and her voice filled with hysterics, "Oh you must help him! Father and Mother, and Isaac's parents too, are up there trying to help him, but none of them have any Psynergy left and I don't know what to do!"

"It's all right Jenna," The white haired Elder soothed the terrified girl gently, patting her on the back, "We'll get you some help as soon as possible. Don't you worry."

Deren hopped across the sunken stones creating a scattered pathway across the center of the pond from the Psynergy Crystal and came to stand by the anxious little group. "My Psynergy is fully restored Elder Jaysan," He nodded respectfully toward Alaena's grandfather and then at her, his usually relaxed demeanor a mask of grave seriousness, "I believe I shall return to aid the Elder's on Mt. Aleph if I may."

Elder Jaysan shook his bearded head at the young blacksmith, "No Deren, I have another more urgent use for your restored powers. Accompany these three young ones back to the Falls," He said, gesturing toward Jenna, Isaac and Garet's tight faces, "Felix, it seems, has foolishly managed to fall into the river and must be retrieved immediately."

"Yes, immediately!" Jenna agreed hurriedly, latching tightly on to the startled Deren's hand and towing him as fast as she could manage in the slick mud toward where her brother clung for dear life in the river, "We must hurry and reach my brother in time! We must save him!"

----------

Jenna was exhausted and trembling by the time she and the three young men had hurried back through the pounding rain to the scene of her brother's possible death. A great wave of uncontrolled relief almost knocked her off her feet when her weary eyes confirmed her brother's placement in the muddy swirling river. At least he was alive—for now.

"Felix!" She shouted over another deafening peal of thunder, racing at the head of the small rescue group to reach the river's edge closer to where here brother was trapped, "Felix, we're coming! Hang on for just a little longer!"

Dora, Isaac's plump kindly mother, met them half way, her expression grim. Jenna shuddered as yet another icy gust of wind seared directly through her thick and somewhat water resistant cloak. As a Mars Adept like Garet she absolutely detested the cold and wet.

"Thank goodness you have returned with help!" Dora exclaimed exhaustion and fear straining her normally pleasant features, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever return. Jenna's parents and my Kyle have tried everything to reach Felix but nothing has even come close! You must help him Deren!"

Deren nodded gravely, and began to speak in a reassuring tone to the middle aged woman, "I will ma'm," He promised, "I-."

It was like a dream.

There were panicked shouts and screams and an ear shattering roaring that seemed to cut off every other audible sound. An indescribable terror hung in the air, and time seemed to be suspended in one dreadful prolonged age.

And there was fear.

"Felix!" She screamed.

He was in the river.

And then he was not.

And then there was nothing.

----------

Isaac was numb. He could not move, could not speak, as he stared dumbly at the splintered remains of what had once been the river deck of Jenna's home and the eddying river and its scarred banks. The sudden and unexpected release of the boulder had knocked them all off their feet and into the mud of the river bank. Deren lay on the ground, covered in mud, moaning. His mother was weeping.

Felix was gone, swept mercilessly away by that Venus cursed boulder. So were Jenna's parents. And his father. There were no tears, but Isaac knew in that one instant that he had to get out of there, away from this terrible place of slaughter.

He dashed off through the rain, heedless of the direction his muddy boots slipping precariously on the flooded earth took him. Spears of freezing cold rain cut under his hood and onto his face numbing his nose instantly. This could not be happening, not to him; his father could not be gone. This all had to be a dream, some kind of terrible nightmare that if he tried hard enough he could wake from. He knew, though, deep in his heart that this was no dream; this was reality at its bluntest.

Exhaustion began to drag down on him; the night had been long, filled with much running too and fro, anxiety and tragedy, and it was finally catching up to him. Isaac panted to a stop, falling onto his knees in the mud. He did not know how long he sat there, shivering in the cold rain, waiting for the tears that would not come, but almost out of nowhere voices, disembodied in the dark, drifted into his hearing. He closed his eyes, attempting to melt into the sheer rock face at his back. He did not want anyone to find him. He wanted to be alone, wallowing in the despair and confusion brought on by his father's sudden…he clenched and unclenched his fingers tightly in the mud.

"_Only the two of us have survived…"_ A man's dark voice wheedled its way into his consciousness from above. Isaac hunched back deeper into the shadows.

"_How could we have anticipated Sol Sanctum would unleash such fury?"_ A second voice, undoubtedly female, replied tersely through the wind and the rain. Isaac's neck began to prickle at the mention of Sol Sanctum, the sacred place of secrets.

"_It's a miracle that even the two of us were spared…"_ The man said his voice sad.

"_That switch,"_ The woman continued, _"it must have been a trap."_ Isaac stiffened, his whole body becoming rigid as the gravity of the exchange he was overhearing first penetrated his half conscious mind.

"_But to think it could conjure up a storm this powerful!"_ The first man continued carelessly, and Isaac's heart turned to ice. His fingers trembled slightly as he drew himself up against the slick rock face of the cliff into the full blast of the gale at hand. These were the villains who had caused all this grief and destruction! Not only that but they had deliberately violated the forbidden halls of the sacred Sanctum!

"_Yet another demonstration of the awesome powers of Alchemy,"_ The woman continued, her voice flecked with wonder and awe.

"_Regardless,"_ The man said, his voice brisk with reminder, _"We must not fail the next time we challenge Sol Sanctum."_ Isaac stiffened at these words. These two lying murdering scoundrels would never see even the outskirts of Vale again if he had his way about it! In fact, he would make sure they never returned to Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum again personally! He knew, however, that his hopes were only the wishful thinking of a word weary young boy. His father could not be—he shook his head violently to clear that thought away.

"_Next time,"_ The woman went on, _"we shall certainly—"_

"Isaac? Isaac! Hey Isaac, wait up!" Garet's voice rang loudly into the cold night. The ominous figures speaking on the cliff top above him broke off sharply as the oblivious red head appeared around the corner. Isaac groaned, realizing his well-meaning friend had just given away his position.

Barely a second passed before the storm-inducing strangers were in front of him, staring at the two boys suspiciously, even as Garet panted up to his friend's side. The man was tall, taller than most Valeans, and he was garbed in a strange gray robe of the likes Isaac had never set eyes on before; it was certainly not Angaran. His hair was a strange smoky blue and his eyes a piercing gray, a definite contrast to the woman's pale colored hair and crimson eyes.

_"You were eavesdropping on us just now weren't you?"_ The man accused, his gray eyes narrowing as he shoved his finger forcefully into Isaac's chest. The yellow haired boy staggered back a few steps until his back was pressed flat up against the rock wall.

"_N-no,"_ He stuttered, averting his gaze nervously to the muddy ground while attempting to feign innocence. The two threatening strangers were not convinced.

_"Isaac…"_ Garet began, glancing dubiously between his friend and the strangers, _"Isaac…they look scary. Are you sure you should be talking to them?"_

Isaac shot his friend a smoldering glare and did not reply. Garet stared at him, hurt and oblivious.

The woman was shaking her head decisively at the boys, _"You must forget everything you just heard,"_ She threatened; her eyes were full of warning.

Garet was confused, that much was obvious, but Isaac did not say anything as a stab of fear tugged at his chest.

_"Don't worry,"_ The man whispered whispered, _"We'll help you forget!"_

With that he jumped limberly backwards, grinning crazily at Isaac, "You're going to have to fight for your life boy, and it's not going to be pleasant!"

Isaac drew his sturdy belt knife swiftly and glanced over at his life-time friend, checking to make sure Garet was adequately equipped. The young Mars Adept had, like Isaac, drawn his own belt knife and was glaring up at the two strangers vehemently. The blue haired man grinned smugly at the two battle ready boys, and the malicious expression masking the woman's pale features drove a knife of fear deep into his chest. _These are the people who killed my father_, he reminded himself harshly, the waking anger shoving back the blanket of fear shrouding his senses, _and they deserve to die_.

He darted forward fluidly, raising his dagger to slash randomly out at the man. The stranger's amused expression only deepened as he stepped lithely away from Isaac's futile attack, appearing to have used no effort at all.

"You're only embarrassing yourself boy," The blue haired man shook his head and crossed his arms smugly, "Give up and you will be spared a lot of pain."

Isaac growled angrily, the man's haughty sneer only fueling his smoldering rage, "I will never surrender to the likes of you!" He spat, and took another badly aimed stab at the man. The stranger caught his hand easily in mid slash and twisted his arm around, thrusting him to the ground. Isaac grunted and snarled at the haughty stranger.

"I should just end this once and for all," The man sighed, sounding weary, "This is a useless battle young one. You cannot win."

With that the man shoved Isaac back into Garet forcefully with his foot and raised his hands above his head. It took no genius to recognize the crackling flows of Fire wrapping up around the man's arms, forming a glowing dragon of Fire that did not even react to the pouring rain. Isaac found himself shivering, both from fear and cold, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the searing wave of Psynergy that was certain to come.

It did not take long. The man was shouting incomprehensibly, and heat and flame engulfed him, searing, buring, inflicting pain. He could not bare it any longer!

Isaac screamed, one long, piercing scream, and knew no more.


End file.
